Lot Essay
In a single image, Lartigue captures the essence of the Belle Epoque: the 'Femme aux renards' represents all the luxuries and frivolities, the ornaments and eccentricities which soon gave way to restraint with the start of the war. The horse-carriage on the far right of the frame and the automobile coming in on the left make reference to the end of one era and the beginning of another. This image, taken at the age of seventeen, masterfully illustrates Lartigue's unique ability as a photographer. First and foremost, however, Lartigue was an observer of life: "Women...everything about them fascinates me - their dresses, their scent, the way they walk, the make-up on their faces, their hands full of rings and, above all, their hats...I am tired but so very happy at the thought of adding a few more photographs to my collection, that nothing matters. I walk down the Avenue du Bois de Boulogne in the direction of the Avenue des Acacias...She: the well-dressed, fashionable, eccentric, elegant, ridiculous or beautiful woman I'm waiting for. You can spot her from far away, in the midst of all the other people, just as you can immediately spot a golden pheasant when it's surrounded by chickens." (See Lartigue, Diary of a Century).